KARL WATSON
TRAVEL DOCUMENTARIES
SWITZERLAND
Quick facts
Trip length:
Time of year:
Year of trip:
Budget:
1 week
August
2019
$1,331
Table of contents
Click to skip forward to a section:
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Budget breakdown
Things to note:
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The film is from 2009, however this budget is based on our 2019 (which was pretty much exactly the same, but the costs are more up to date)
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We used air miles for our flights, that's why it's so cheap
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Accommodation cost was double this, but since this breakdown is the cost for 1 person, I've divided it in 2
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Switzerland is notoriously expensive, but because our accommodation was self-catered, that helped us keep other spending costs down
Total Trip Costs
Flights from the UK:
Accommodation:
Transport:
Food:
Cash spent:
Total:
$43
$584
$456
$89
$159
$1,331
Itinerary Summary
Accommodation
Travel
Here's what we bought, based on exchange rates in 2019:
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Half price card: 120 CHF / $120
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Return train ticket from Zurich Airport to Wengen (using half price card): 88 CHF / $88
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Jungfrau pass (covers nearly all trains and cable cars in Jungfrau region): 190 CHF / $178
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Jungfraujoch: 74 CHF / $70
There are LOTS of different ticket combinations you can get to save money, so it all depends on how long you're going for, what you want to do.
Here's a couple of really useful links for choosing what's the best ticket for your trip:
Activities
Wengen - Eigergletscher - Kleine Scheidegg Hike:
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From Wengen station, walk past the Co-op and underneath train tracks
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Follow signs to Staubbachbankli
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On the map you're following route 42 all the way to Mettlenalp
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Then 43 to Biglenalp
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Then 39 / 29 for the final stretch up to Eigergletscher, before walking down to Kleine Scheidegg
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Either get train back down from Kleine Scheidegg, or walk another hour to Männlichen and get cable car down to Wengen
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Long but stunning hike. Ascend 1,046 metres in altitude (3,432 ft)
Route map
Original map
Grütschalp - Allmendhubel - Mürren Hike:
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Get the cable car from Lauterbrunnen up to Grütschalp
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From the station follow the Mountain View trail to Allmendhubel
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From Allmenhubel follow the Northface Trail, going anti-clockwise around the loop and finishing up in Murren.
Route map
Original map
Schynige Platte - Faulhorn - First Hike:
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Get the first train of the day up to Schynige Platte, before it gets too crowded and also gives you maximum time to do the walk. You don't want to miss the last cable car down from the First to Grindelwald!
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Don't immediately follow signs to Faulhorn, from the Schynige Platte station follow the signs up to Daube view point
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Then follow the ridge and signs all the way to the Faulhorn
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From the Faulhorn walk down to the First
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Thing to note with this walk is not just how long it is, but how remote it. Whilst the other hikes have plenty of chances to "bail out", being near train stations or cable car stations, this one you have to commit to it. So bring plenty of food and drink, and clothes for all weather conditions because it can change really fast up there
Route map
Original map
Interlaken - Giessbachfalle - Isetwald Boat Trip + Hike:
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From Interlaken get the boat to Giessbachfalle
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Walk all the way up to the highest viewpoint of the falls
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Then come back down to main viewpoints near hotel and follow path left along the lake to Isetwald
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Then get boat back to Interlaken
Giessbachfalle map
Route map
Original map
First - Faulhorn - Bort Hike:
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From the top of First cable car, hike up to the Faulhorn
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Walk back down to Bachalpsee
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From here follow signs to Waldspitz
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Then walk down to the Bort station, and take cable car back down to Grindelwald
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Using the bellow map, it's route 1 from First > Bachalpsee; route 2 for Bachalpsee > Faulhorn > Bachalpsee; then route 4 down to Bort via Waldspitz.
Route map
Original map
Route map
Original map
Schilthorn Hike:
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Pretty simple, from Allmendhubel, hike up to Schilthorn!
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Then get the cable car back down
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Very steep, long hike with big drop offs, so not one for those who don't like heights!
Route map
Original map
Jungfraujoch:
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Hike to the Mönchsjoch Hut, 1 hour each way. There's a restaurant with toilets at Mönchsjoch Hut
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Be wary of altitude sickness, if say you're travelling from Interlaken, you're ascending nearly 3,000 metres (nearly 10,000 feet) without acclimatising.
Do this trip as a tour
Click on the tour to be taken to the Intrepid Travel page.
